Real life tales of earning

Case studies about organisations who have diversified their funding base:

• Allergy UK - trading activity includes a product endorsement seal of approval', translation cards for allergy sufferers and an online allergy diploma for health professionals.
• Betel of Britain - employing service users in gardening, renovation and upholstery services.
• Community Links - a short case study that sees an organisation examining its visible' and invisible' assets. 
• Complementary Health Trust - from defining its work by patient group, CHT realised that its competitive advantage lay in offering tailored services to any patient group, under contracts with the NHS and a variety of hospices.
• Contact a Family - identifying, packaging and marketing intellectual property, developed from the organisation's core activity.
• Ealing Community Transport - a community transport scheme which has diversified and grown and now collects household waste and recycling material.
• Earthworks - a small charity that has taken a sustainable funding approach', combining statutory and non statutory grants with donations, contracts and the sale of services.
• Hillingdon Community Mediation  - income is generated from a local authority contract, bespoke consultancy, payments from independent housing associations and 'one off' case payments from other organisations.
• Kids Cookery School - runs a range of cookery classes and other projects varying from after school clubs to special needs tailor-made cookery sessions and sells associated items.
• Lifeline - produced comic book style publications to fill a gap in the market.
• Merlin Venture Community Enterprises - how a not for profit organisation can play an active and vital role in rejuvenating a local economy and its neighbourhood services.
• Opportunities Without Limits - a vibrant organisation that combines funded projects with a café, training centre and gardening and repair contracts.
• Speaking Up! - innovative training and consultancy package, promoting user-led services and self-advocacy.
• St Elizabeths Centre - Specialist centre providing help and care to people with disabilities providing a furniture restoration workshop and looking to expand into new areas).
• The Miscarriage Association - providing advice about miscarriage and charging for leaflets previously provided for free.
• The Trojans Scheme - an example of managing growth, staying on mission, taking out a loan to purchase premises and more!  
• Tools for Schools - a social business that earns income through providing donated computers to schools

Also see:

• South West Sustainable Funding Trading Pilot - a SFP project which assisted seven organisations to work up a trading idea over the course of a year